March 1 (Bloomberg) -- Beam Inc., the U.S. maker of Jim
Beam, Canadian Club and Maker’s Mark, was sued for $100 million
by an importer that claims Beam and its Cooley Distillery unit
broke a contract to supply it with Michael Collins Irish
Whiskey.

The importer, New Rochelle, New York-based Sidney Frank
Importing Co., said the defendants cut off its access to the
private-label whiskey brand after Beam acquired Cooley last
year, according to a complaint filed today in Manhattan federal
court.

“Cooley unilaterally and wholly without justification
abandoned its supply contract with SFIC,” the importer said in
its complaint. “Beam orchestrated this move in order to
monopolize Cooley’s production capacity for the benefit of its
Kilbeggan brand, which Beam is aggressively promoting in the
U.S. where Michael Collins had been ascending rapidly.”

SFIC claimed the move is part of Deerfield, Illinois-based
Beam’s strategy to challenge the top-selling Jameson Irish
Whiskey brand and rid the market of private-label whiskeys
including Michael Collins.

SFIC sued Beam and Cooley for breach of contract, unfair
competition and tortious interference with the importer’s
business relationships with distributors throughout the U.S.

“We have been in commercial discussions with Sidney Frank
regarding this matter,” said Clarkson Hine, a Beam spokesman.
“We are confident in our position and that we will prevail.”

The case is Sidney Frank Importing Co. v. Beam Inc., 13-CV-1391, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
(Manhattan).

To contact the reporter on this story:
Bob Van Voris in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan at
rvanvoris@bloomberg.net